Rail-fastener.



Patented July 8, I902.

J. M. SPAULDING.

RAIL FASTENEB. (Application filed. July 24. 1901 (No Model.)

WITNESS E8.

RTT ORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAlL-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,221, dated July 8, 1902. Application filed July 2 1, 1901. Serial No. 69,570. (No model.)

To a whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that LJnirnsM. SPAULDING, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fasteners, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rail-fasteners, relating more particularly to certain improvements in the construction of the tie and rail-engaging members, being similar to the device set forth in my former patent, No. 671,734 of April 9, 1901.

The object of my present invention is to reduce the cost of the manufacture of the tie and fastening members and to enable any ordinary workman to place the sections of the tie and their fastening members in their proper relative positions without loss of time or the employment of any special tools, the object of forming the tie in separate sections being to utilize old rails which have been rendered unfit for use as such by reheating and rolling the same into the desired form for the tie-sections. It has been found by experiment that a single rail is insufficient to re-form into the ties when made integral, as shown in my former patent referred to, and that by using a separate rail for each section the tie-sections can be more readily rolled into the desired form without waste of material.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the tie-sections and fastening members that the keys which hold the fastening members in position also serve to lock the tiesections together.

To this end the invention consists in the construction combination, and arrangement of the parts or arail-fastening device,as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view,partly in section and partly broken away, of my improved rail-fastening device, the meeting ends of the rails being shown in operative position as resting upon the tie. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the rail-holding members. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the tie-sections. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a slightly-modified form of tie.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In. the drawings I have shown a tie or support 1, rail-engaging members 2 and 3, rails 4:, having their meeting ends mounted on the tie and interposed between each pair of railengaging members, and keys 5 and 6 for securing said fastening members to the tie. This tie 1 preferably consists of a base-section '7 and an upper section 8, the base-section being provided with base-flanges 9 and separated lengthwise substantially parallel ribs 10 for forming a lengthwise channel or groove 11, said base-sections being also provided with transverse slots or openings 12, arranged in pairs in proximity to the opposite ends of the tie. The upper section is preferably substantially T-shaped, being formed with a depending lengthwise rib 13, lateral lengthwise ribs 14, and transverse slots or openings 15, also arranged in pairs in proximity to its opposite ends and adapted to be alined with the slots or openings 12. The rib 13 is of substantially the same width and depth as the lengthwise groove 11 in order that the base of said rib may rest upon the bottom wall of the groove 11 and the under faces of the ribs 14 rest upon the upper faces of the flanges 10, thus forming a broad bearing for the upper section and making a substantially integral tie when the parts are assembled, the width of the upper portion of the upper section 8 being of substantially the same width as the distance between the outer lengthwise faces of the flanges 10, thus forming a substantially smooth surface or guideway extending from the base-flanges 9 to the top of the tie, these lateral faces of the tie forming a suitable guide or way for the fastening members 2 and 3, presently described.

The fastening members 2 and 3 are substantially identical in construction, being arranged in pairs upon the tie corresponding to the pairs of slots 12 and 15. Each of these fastening members is provided with a lengthwise recess 16 opening from its lower face for receiving the tie and is also formed with a transverse slot 17, communicating with the recess 16. The fastening members 2 and 3 are each provided with recesses 16 in their adjacent faces for receiving the base-flanges of the rail 4, the lower walls of the recess extending underneath the base-flanges of said rail, and the upper portion or jaw of each of said fastening members laps upon the upper portion of the base-flanges of said rails and is provided with a fish-plate 18, preferably formed integral therewith and extending laterally beyond the body of the fastening member. One of the fastening members, as 2, is provided with studs or pins 19, and the other fastening member is provided with apertures 20, adapted to receive the projecting ends of said studs or pins. The rails 4 are also provided with apertures 21, alined with the apertures 20 and also arranged to receive said pins. The keys 5 and 6 are adapted to enter the transverse slots in the fastening members and tie-sections and serve to lock the fastening members and tie-sections to each other, said keys being usually tapered and are adapted to force the fastening members firmly into engagement with the meeting ends of the rails. The pins 19 serve to lock the rail ends and fish-plates firmly to each other.

The recess 16 in each of the fastening members differs somewhat from that of my former application, the flanges at either side of said recess being unprovided with inwardly-projecting ribs, which permits the fastening members to be placed upon the tie at any position between its opposite ends and at the same time allows the fastening members to be moved lengthwise along said tie when the keys are not in operative position.

In the operation ofmyinvention theouterfas tening members 2 are placed upon the tie with their transverse slots alined with the slots or openings in the tie. The keys dare then insertedinto said slots,therebyholding the outerfastening members in position,wh-ich forms a convenientgage for lining up the rails. The inner sections are then placed in position,with their fish-plates engaged with the inner faces of the tie and their apertures receiving the proj-ecting ends of the pins 19'. The keys 6 are then inserted through the inner transverse slots of the fastening members and tie-sec tions, and the keys at both sides of the rail are then driven firmlyinto position in the direction of their taper, thereby impinging the meeting ends of the rails between the fishplates of each pair of fastening members and firmly holding said rails in position, these keys also serving to firmly lock the fastening members and tie-sections together.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slightly-modified form of tie, consisting of base and upper sections 30 and 31, halved into each other, the upper section having a lateral lengthwise flange 32 resting upon the upwardly-extending rib 33 of the base-section, each of these sections being provided with transverse slots for receiving the key 34:, which key is adapted to enter similar slots in the fastenin member 35, which is formed substantially of the same construction as that previously de scribed, and shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that the essential features of this device consist in forming the tie of separate lengthwise sections adapted to interlock with each other, each of which is provided with transverse slots ar ranged in pairs for receiving suitable keys, which serve to lock the fastening members and the tie-sections to each other. It will be evident, however, thatsome change may be made in the detail construction without departing from the spirit of this invention-as,- for instance, the tie-sections may be riveted or bolted together independently of the keys and the upper section provided with trans verse slots arranged in pairs for purposes previously described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A rail-fastener comprising tie-sections having lengthwise ribs or flanges engaged with each other and each provided with trans verse slots or openings, keys inserted in the openings for locking the sections together, and a pair of fastening members detachably mounted on the tie and having their adjacent ends engaged with the rail and their opposite ends engaged with the keys for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described tie composed of lengthwise sections having openings arranged at opposite sides of the rail-seat, in combination with keys inserted in the openings for securing the sections together, and rail-holding members engaged with the keys.

3. The combination with a tie composed of lengthwise sections having transverse open ings, of rail-holding members having transverse openings, and keys inserted into the openings of the tie-sections and said members for locking the same together.

4. In a rail-fastener, the combination with a tie composed of lengthwise sections, one having a groove and the other fitting in the groove and each provided with a pair of transverse openings, rail-holding members removably mounted on the tie and having transverse openings, and keys inserted in the openings for lockin g the tie-sections and members together.

5. The combination with rail-sections arranged end to end and having transverse apertures therethrough, of a tie receiving the meeting ends of the rail-sections and composed of lengthwise parts fitting one upon the other and each provided with an opening, means inserted in said opening for securing the tie parts together, and a rail-holding member mounted on the tie and engaged with said means, said member having studs or pins ontering the apertures of the rail-sections.

6. The combination with rail-sections arranged end to end and having transverse apertures therethrough, of a tie receiving the meeting ends of the rail-sections and composed of lengthwise parts fitting one upon the other, each of the sections having a pair of openings,keys inserted in said openings for securing the tie parts together, and rail-holdin g members mounted on the tie at opposite sides of the rail and engaging said keys, one of said members having studs or pins entering the apertures of the rail-sections and the other having apertures receiving the studs or pins.

7. The combination with rail-sections arranged end to end and provided with transverse apertures, of lengthwise tiessections mounted one upon the other and providedwith JAMES M. SPAULDING.

WVitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. Now. 

